GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION - DeKalb County Schools

52 GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
4.52 The following items constitute the Athletic Officials Associations Approval Plan for the GHSA:
(a) The Executive Director of the GHSA shall determine the number of officials associations to be approved
for each activity. The number of associations will be determined by:
(1) the demand for officials in that activity in that geographic area of the state
(2) the number of associations already in existence in that activity in that area
(3) the extent to which member schools’ needs are being met by existing officials associations in that
activity.
(4) The assignment of officiating associations for most GHSA activities shall be the responsibility of the
GHSA office.
(5) Officials’ associations must maintain minimum membership levels in order to be considered “active
associations” by the GHSA in certain sports. Those numbers shall be: Baseball (15), Softball (15),
Football (30), and Basketball (30).
(6) New officiating associations may be established when it can be demonstrated that the needs of
member schools will be met by adding an association.
(b) The GHSA Executive Director may, at his discretion, approve additional associations utilizing the
following criteria and procedure:
(1) Such associations shall make application to the GHSA requesting approval.
(2) The By-Laws of such an association shall be subject to the approval of the GHSA and must include
provisions indicating that the association and its members will be subject to the rules and authority
of the GHSA.
(3) An approved officials association must handle its finances through a central banking account, and
should distribute IRS 1099 forms to all members. Every officiating association must have a Federal
Tax Identification Number on file with the GHSA office.
(4) An approved association shall require all its members to be registered with the GHSA, and to comply
with all requirements of the GHSA Policies and Procedures Manual.
(5) An approved association must comply with all GHSA reporting deadlines.
(6) An approved association, and any of their individual members, shall be subject to penalties of fines
and/or suspensions for failure to comply with GHSA rules and regulations.
(c) The GHSA expects every officials association to operate in a manner that does not discriminate on the
basis of race, sex, color, disability, religion, national origin or age.
(d) Officials associations shall not charge member schools any administrative fees not authorized by the
GHSA.
(e) All Invoices for officiating fees in all sports should be paid within 30 days of the end of the season. Failure
to do so will result in a 10% late fee being charged to the member school by the officials’ association.
Associations must send a final season invoice to schools within one week of the completion of the season.
Schools are discouraged from paying officials at the game site.
4.53 Contest officials and officials’ associations are independent contractors and not employees of the GHSA or
its member schools.
4.54 In the event that officials do not show for a scheduled event without notification or emergency situation, a fine
shall be assessed to the officials association for twice the amount of the game fees and that amount be divided
between the competing schools.
4.55 All decisions of the GHSA Executive Director in regards to officials shall be subject to the appellate procedures
as set forth in the GHSA Constitution.
4.56 Universal contest fees shall be charged for all scheduled, regular-season interscholastic contests (including
scrimmages). The universal fee schedule shall be as shown in the chart in Appendix F. Schools and officiating
associations may not reduce or increase game fees from those listed in this section. Penalties may be imposed
for those violating this rule.
4.60 - SPECIAL GHSA POLICIES
4.61 Gender Equity: The Georgia High School Association shall comply with the requirements of subsections (a)
through (f) of Code Section 20-2-314, as those requirements relate to the association's functions of organizing,
sanctioning, scheduling, or rule making for events in which public high schools participate.
The Georgia High School Association shall, no later than October 1, 2003, and every year thereafter, submit
a report to the General Assembly regarding its compliance with paragraph (1) of this subsection. Such report
shall address the number, type, and disposition of written requests for the association to organize and
administer regional or state events for additional or different sports; written requests for information regarding
the types of athletic events for public high school students that the association organizes and administers;